Our Mission

Founded in 1999, Communities In Schools of Virginia is part of the national Communities In School network.  Our shared mission:  Surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Communities In Schools of Virginia is currently composed of six affiliate organizations embedded in communities across Virginia, serving 25 school systems, 164 schools, and more than 113,000 students.

Our Mission
Our Purpose

Our Belief

Communities In Schools of Virginia believes that transformative relationships are key to unlocking an individual’s inherent potential. We are committed to ensuring all students in Virginia, regardless of their background, identity, or circumstances, have equal access to opportunities and resources to thrive in school and beyond. We reject discrimination, prejudice, and bias in all forms and strive to create and foster inclusive environments where all individuals are welcomed, respected, valued, and empowered to engage authentically.  By consistently demonstrating our commitment to these beliefs, we contribute to the creation of a more equitable and just society.

Our Purpose

At the state office, we strive to strengthen the CIS of Virginia network by providing local CIS affiliate leaders, staff and boards with the knowledge, tools and resources that build strong and sustainable organizations.

We also identify opportunities for growth and assist communities in creating and sustaining new CIS affiliates.

We ensure the fidelity to the evidence-based model that has proven to deliver the right form of support to the students who need it most.

Communities In Schools provides essential support to Affiliate teams

Communities in Schools of Virginia
CIS-VA by the numbers (4)

Our Solution

We ensure CIS serves as many of Virginia’s students as possible, as soon as possible, with the best results possible. We measure our success by the results our network achieves for the young people we serve. We carefully evaluate all aspects of our programs, and use that information to constantly improve.

During school year 2022-23, the CIS of Virginia network reached more than 83,000 students in 122 schools across Virginia.  The support provided by CIS site coordinators ranges from food, housing and transportation to health care, counseling and mentoring services.  5,851 of the most vulnerable students received 1:1 case management.

Our Model

The cornerstone of the CIS model is integrated student support.  That means that each of our participating schools has a trained professional on-site, acting as a link to school-wide services, targeted programs and individual support based on each student’s needs. This model means that students and teachers both get the help they need to be successful.

Our affiliates partner with local businesses, social service agencies, health care providers and volunteers to provide a coordinated system of support. Whether it’s food, school supplies, health care, counseling, academic assistance, mentorship or behavioral interventions, Communities In Schools is there to help.  Learn more about CIS’s evidence-based model of supports.

support

Surround students
with high quality
supports

nurture

Develop social, emotional, and academic competencies

academics

Improve their attendance, behavior, and academics

advancement

Help them get
promoted to
the next grade

graduation

Keep them on
the path towards
graduation

post graduation

Promote their college,
career, and/or
civic readiness

Schools and students with access to CIS in Virginia:

Students Served in the CIS-VA Network

The CIS-VA network’s reach has more than tripled over the last decade, thanks to significant investment from the Commonwealth of Virginia which we have leveraged in the private sector and the communities we serve.  CIS-VA is committed to reaching every high-need school in Virginia, including seeking innovative ways to reach small, rural districts.